Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-01-29
A "REMINISCENCES


 extract from the New York Tribune re- carding the Phenix mine at Gave Greek. Mar1copa county. The article not only possesses a local interest as treating of the merits of a grand mining uropertv. but it confirms the truth of whs. was hitherto believed to be but mere rumor, perhaps based upon suspiclon. By reference 10 the article in question 1t will be seen that Mir. Seymour states that he won the suit involving the title to the mine, through the Interposition o! President Cleveland" Without fur ther explanation She expression looks a innocent as cartridge of unexploded dynamite, and it is evidence of the exist encs of even greater danger.
 Inc suit ID question was bitter con- test, and the bes. legal talent to be ob- tained was employed upon both sides. For long time 1t was one of the most familiar eases upon the court calendars O. the second, and then the first. judi cal districts of Arizons, and in the pub llshed proceedings of these courts. We do not purpose gong into the merits or the contest, for they are foreign to the present subject of discussion, even if We were sufficiently tsmil- iar with them to treat them with impartial consideration. It IS enough to ssy that two decisions were made by two honorable justices of the Supreme Court of Arizona. adversely to NIT. Seymour. There are no reputable people in Arizona, honorei with the personal and official acquaintance of these distinguished judges, who wlll for sIngls moment question the hon esty, ability and impartiality of their action in the suit in question. They are both above the slightest sus- picion of undue influence-ofe either fear or favor.
 Upon the conclusion of their rulings 1t was even stated, but not believed. that Q change in the Arizona judiciary would follow, and s little later on, a private le;' ter was received in Phenix from New York conveying the information thnt Mir. Seymour possessed great influence at the White Hous-, and tina, he had ar ranged to have these judges removed and others appointed. The language of the letter may not be exactly these words. but such was the purpoTt Gs told the writer short time subsequent to it: receipt at Phenix and afte. the entire supreme bench of the Territory had been suspended by executive order.
 The absence of direct charges mad, the sudden change in our judiciary aT inexplicable puzzle al the time. and tho occaslon of a necessity existing for such resulting confusion and evident inius tee was not known. A few persons sus pected the covert threat, reinforced bJ the information given in th5 New Yorl letter, was the cause of the removal o' the judges, and thG: It wGs dope because they had decided the case above men toned adversely to tha interests of a person who possessed influence with th' president. Inc Tubune's article nov corroborates the truth of that suspicion by the very words of Mir, Seymour him self. This Is the explanation of his lex pressIoD that he "Eou the case ihrouCf the interpcsition of the president M' leave eur readers to judge of the lnfaml otsuch an "interpositiou" with the ma chinery fthe law, no matter what th' merits of the suit may bBVs been. II certainly wss an arrogant assunption o e despotic power that was never con leu' plated when the Prerogative of ap pointment md removal of federal off cials was placed in his hands.